Part 35

a township, two miles west from Ruyton, has 869A. 1R. 38P. of land, 31 scattered houses, and 151 inhabitants. The soil is a mixture of peat and loamy sand. Rateable value, £800. 4s. 3d. The landowners are John Basnett, Esq.; Richard Oswell, Esq.; T. B. Oswell, Esq.; Mrs. Richards; Mrs. Cureton; William Price, Esq.; and the devisees of the late Mr. Humphreys. The tithes were commuted in 1847, when £50. 8s. were awarded to the Vicar of Ruyton, £20 to John Basnett, £3. 10s. to Thomas B. Oswell, Esq., £25 to William B. Oswell, Esq., and £25 to Richard B. Oswell, Esq. The Chester and Shrewsbury railway intersects the township. The residents are John Basnett, Esq., The Hall; John Humphreys, farmer; Richard B. Oswell, Esq.; Thomas B. Oswell, Esq.; Edward Jones, blacksmith; and William Morgan, shoemaker.

SELATTYN

is a parish on the N.W. verge of the county, bordering on Shropshire, comprising the townships of Upper and Lower Porkington, and containing 5,437 acres of land. In 1801 the parish embraced a population of 701 souls; in 1831, 1,143; and in 1841 there were 241 houses and 1,128 inhabitants, of whom 556 were males, and 572 females. The village of Selattyn lies on an acclivity, three miles N.N.W. from Oswestry, and consists of a few detached houses near to the church. The rest of the population reside in dwellings which are scattered throughout the parish. To the north and west of the village, a bleak and mountainous district stretches to the extremity of the county. The principal landowners are William Ormsby Gore, Esq., M.P.; Thos. George Warrington Carew, Esq.; John Wynn Eyton, Esq.; John Povey, Esq.; Richard Henry Kinchant, Esq.; Mrs. Lloyd; Richard Lewis, Esq.; Thos. Jones, Esq.; Thomas Lovett, Esq.; Mr. John Williams; Mr. John Edwards; Mr. Richard Jones; Messrs. Gilpin and Owen; and the trustees of Shrewsbury Grammar School; besides whom are several other proprietors.

THE CHURCH is a plain cruciform structure, with a square tower, and is dedicated to St. Mary. A small organ was added in 1847, at a cost of £70. The Rev. Thomas Edwards, who died in the year 1800, is remembered on a neat tablet. The living is a rectory, valued in the king’s book at £12. 9s. 7d., in the patronage of Mrs. Lloyd, and enjoyed by the Rev. Albany Rosendale Lloyd, M.A. The tithes were commuted in 1840 for £813. James Wildig, one of the assembly of divines, and the Rev. Henry Sacheverall, D.D., remarkable for their different principles, were rectors of Selattyn. A CHAPEL OF EASE, dedicated to St. Barnabas, was opened for divine service on June 11th, 1850, at Hengoed. It is a small edifice, in the early English style, with nave and chancel, and has a chaste and neat appearance. The cost of the structure was about £500, which was raised by subscription, to which the rector was a liberal contributor. The Rev. Thomas Lewis Lewis is the officiating minister. Previous to the erection of this chapel there was a small place of worship here, which has since been converted into a school, where about fifty children are educated. THE FREE or PAROCHIAL SCHOOL is situated a short distance from the parish church, where about 100 boys are educated. There is also a girls’ school, where 40 children are instructed. Mr. William Cullis, the teacher, is writing master to the juvenile branches of the royal family, and has published a small school book, which has had a large circulation. (For the endowment, see “_Charities_.”) The village is supplied with an abundance of excellent water, by means of a _Water Ram Fountain_, which was placed on the road side, at the sole expense of the rector, in the year 1847. The water is brought from a distance of about 1,000 feet, and rises 100 feet in perpendicular height. There are lime works on the western verge of the parish. About half a mile W. by N. from the church is a tower, upon the lofty summit of a hill, which is a conspicuous object for many miles. It was built by the Rev. Gerald Carew, and has the following inscription:—

GORSEDD ORWYNION. It is recorded in the poems of the aged Prince and Bard, Llywarch-hen, that in the 7th century, from this spot he saw his son Gwen slain in a battle between the Britons and Saxons, on the brook Morlas below. Oedd gwr-vy-mâb oedd ddysgywen hawl Ar ryd Vorlâs-y-llass Gwen.

A sepulchral urn, containing bones, was found underneath this tower, A.D. 1847.

From the tower a most beautiful panoramic view of the fertile plains of Shropshire is seen towards the south-east, and in the opposite direction the bold and picturesque scenery of the counties of Denbigh and Montgomery open to view. PORKINGTON, the seat of William Ormsby Gore, Esq., M.P., lies about a mile N.W. from Oswestry. This plane takes its name from _Brogyntyn_, an old castle of the Welsh princes, which stood in the neighbouring grounds, and was surrounded by a deep fosse, which may still be traced. Porkington is a Grecian edifice, with an elegant portico. The park is extensive, and has a fine undulating surface, richly adorned with timber, and the prospects are extensive, varied, and beautiful. PENTRE-PANT HALL is a handsome residence, in a sequestered situation about two miles south from Selattyn; the hall is elegantly furnished, and the grounds beautifully wooded. It is the property of Thomas George Warrington Carew, Esq., and residence of the Rev. Gerald Carew. THE DERWEN is a neat house, S.E. from Selattyn, the residence and property of John Povey, Esq. THE RECTORY is a pleasantly situated house, a little south from the church.

CHARITIES.—_John Hanmer_, D.D., bishop of St. Asaph, by will, 1628, gave the inheritance and fee-simple of his tenement in Selattyn to the use of the poor of the parish.

_Charles Morris_, in 1721, bequeathed £500 in trust, and directed the amount to be laid out in the purchase of lands, and out of the yearly proceeds thereof 20s. to be paid yearly for a sermon on Candlemas-day, and the residue to be employed for the maintenance of the poor charity children and other poor persons of this parish. The legacy was laid out in the purchase of land soon after the death of the testator, but there are no title deeds now to be found in the parish relating thereto, and that it is so intermixed with the property devised by Bishop Hanmer that it would now be difficult to distinguish them. The whole estate consists of 53A. 3R., including 18 acres of allotment, and about one rood of ground, obtained by exchange with Mr. John Edwards. The estate produces £60. 5s. per annum, to which is added 4s. yearly, the moiety of rent due to this parish from certain land left by J. R. Powell. There is a school and school-house on the premises, devised by Bishop Hanmer, the former of which was built in 1812. The Rev. G. N. K. Lloyd, the rector, contributed £100 towards this building, on condition that he, and the successors to his property in this parish, should have the privilege of sending to the school six poor children resident in, though not belonging to, the parish, to be taught free. The school at Hengoed was built upon land given by G. H. Carew, Esq., principally at the expense of the rector, who gave £200, expressly upon the condition that the children of all poor residents in the parish should be admitted to both the schools.

_Colonel Owen_ charged certain lands, which now form part of the Porkington estate, with the payment of £6 yearly to the poor of this parish. A yearly sum of £10 is now paid by Mrs. Gore to the rector, who distributes the amount in sums varying from 5s. to 10s.

_Mrs. Margaret Ormsby_, by her will, dated 25th February, 1805, requested those who should succeed her in the Porkington estate, to distribute £20 annually among poor persons in the neighbourhood. In compliance with this request, the daughter of the testatrix gives £20 yearly among the most deserving poor.

Carew Rev. Gerald, Pentre-pant Hall

Cullis William, schoolmaster

Drury Richard, farmer, Mardon

Edwards Mr. John, Tower hill

Edwards John, farmer, Fron

Edwards Richard, farmer, Pentre

David Edwards Richard, farmer, Underhill

Edwards Richard, corn miller, Oak Mill

Evans John, farmer, Paradwys

Evans John, farmer, Ty-cock

Fenna Richard, farmer, Gyrn

Gore William Ormsby, Esq., M.P., Porkington Hall

Hales Sarah, farmer, Cerny-bwch

Harding Mr. Frederick, Fron Lodge

Holland James, carpenter, builder & farmer, Peny-bont

Hughes Edward, farmer, Park Farm

Jackson George, farmer and butcher, Pentre-clawdd

Jones Isaac, blacksmith, Pant-glass

Jones John, farmer, Birch House

Jones John, farmer, Forrest

Jones John, farmer, Five Cross Lanes

Jones John, blacksmith, Pentrewerne

Jones John, wheelwright

Jones Thomas, farmer, White House

Kenrick Elizabeth, vict., Hart and Trumpet

Lewis Mrs. Letitia

Lewis Margaret, shopkeeper

Lewis Richard, farmer, Pentrewerne Cottage

Lewis Rev. Thomas Lewis, curate, Hengoed

Lloyd Mrs. Ann, Nant Issa

Lloyd Rev. Albany Rosendale, M.A., Rectory

M’Kie W. H., agent to W. O. Gore, Esq., Scybar Issa

Meredith Humphrey, farmer, Pentre David

Morgan George, farmer, Springs

Morgan Joseph, farmer, Tyng-drain

Newstead Mary, school teacher, Hengoed

Nicholas Thomas, parish clerk, assistant overseer, and collector of assessed taxes

Peate Robert, farmer, Pentre clawdd

Povey John, Esq., The Derwen

Roberts Edward, farmer

Roberts John, maltster & vict., Cross Keys

Roberts Robert, shopkeeper

Sands Hugh, farmer, Cross lanes

Sands Thomas, farmer, Craignant

Thomas David, farmer, Llawry-pant, Ucha

Thomas John, corn miller

Thomas John, farmer, Penrhos

Thompson Thomas, farmer, Crown house

Vaughan Edward, farmer, Nantucha

Williams David, farmer, Pentrewerne

Williams Edmund & Thos., corn millers

Williams Richard, farmer, New Barn

Williams Samuel, farmer, Fron

Williams George, farmer, Grouse Lodge

Williams Peter, farmer, Selattyn Lodge

Williams Richard, blacksmith & beerhouse

Whitehurst John, Esq., Marddu

Wynn William Williams Edward, Esq., Sion House

SYCHTYN

is a township in the parish of Llansilin, with a scattered population, in a bleak and mountainous district, five miles S.S. by W. from Oswestry. The rest of this parish is included in the county of Denbigh. The township contains 1,414 acres of land, and in 1841 had 55 houses and 251 inhabitants. Rateable value, £907. 1s. 6d. The principal landowners are Sir W. W. Wynn, Bart.; John Wynn Eyton, Esq.; the Earl of Liverpool; Thomas Fitzhough, Esq.; Richard Morris, Esq.; and Messrs. Poole and Haslam. The Earl of Powis is lord of the manor. The tithes have been commuted, and £96. 15s. awarded to the Bishop of St. Asaph, to whom Robert Owen Tudor, Esq., is the lessee; £2 to the vicar of Llansilin, and £1. 7s. to the parish clerk of Llansilin. There are extensive limestone quarries in this township, and large quantities are annually burnt into lime, and used for agricultural purposes. The Independents and Welsh Methodists have each a small chapel in this township.

Davies Edward, farmer

Davies Edward, collector of rates

Davies Evan, farmer

Davies Richard, farmer

Edwards Edward, farmer

Griffiths John, farmer

Hughes Margaret, farmer

Jones Edward, lime burner and victualler, New Inn

Jones John, farmer and lime burner

Morris Richard, Esq., Pentre-cefn

Rees John, butcher

Richards Hugh, farmer and lime burner

Roberts Thomas, blacksmith

Roberts William, farmer

Rodenhurst John, farmer

Tudor Thomas, farmer

Williams John, farmer

* * * * *

WEST FELTON

parish includes the townships of West Felton, Haughton, Rednall, Sandford, Sutton, Tedsmore, Twyford, and Woolston, together comprising 5,989A. 2R. 9P. of land, the soil of which is a mixture of sand and loam. The meadows produce a fine herbage, and being intersected by the river Perry, which, frequently overflowing its banks, and covering hundreds of acres, produces the greatest fertility and luxuriance. In 1801 the parish contained 926 inhabitants; in 1831, 1,093; and in 1841, 1,087. Rateable value, £8,314. 14s. George Edwards, Esq., is lord of the manor. The tithes were commuted in 1838 for the sum of £1,008.

WEST FELTON

is a well built village and township, intersected by the Holyhead and London turnpike road, five miles S.E. from Oswestry and thirteen N.W. from Shrewsbury. In the village are some good houses, and the immediate vicinity is a rich farming district, in which are scattered several neat villa residences. The township contains 800A. 3R. 15P. of productive arable and pasture land, having a loamy soil with a mixture of sand. In 1841 here were 43 houses and 214 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,285. 10s. The principal landowners are John Freeman Dovaston, Esq.; Rev. Peter George Bentley; Edward Frank, Esq.; Thomas Frank, Esq.; Rev. Thomas Hunt; executors of the late R. L. Murray, Esq.; Mrs. Duckett; Mr. Richard Fardoe; Mr. John Brookfield; George Withers Edwards, Esq.; Mr. John Hopkin; Mr. Edward Rodgers; and Messrs. Sides.

THE CHURCH, dedicated to St. Michael, a handsome structure in the decorative style of English architecture, consists of nave, chancel, and side aisle, the latter being separated from the nave by lofty Norman arches, rising from circular pillars; the floor of the nave and chancel are ornamented with encaustic tiles of beautiful design, and the communion table and two chairs are of oak, elaborately carved. In 1842 the structure was enlarged and renovated at a cost of upwards of £600, which was raised by subscriptions and grants from the diocesan and incorporated societies, in consequence of which 202 additional sittings were added, and 58 were declared free and unappropriated for ever. The east end of the sacred building is beautified by two stained glass windows, one the gift of the Hon. Thomas Kenyon, and the other the gift of the Hon. Mrs. Kenyon and the junior members of the family. They exhibit a masterly display of workmanship, and were executed by Evans, of Shrewsbury. The stone work was the gift of the Rev. Mr. Hunt. The window on the north side, over the entrance door, has fine representations of Moses and Aaron, and was the gift of Viscount Dungannon. The roof of the church is of dark oak, beautifully designed; and the whole has a chaste and elegant appearance. It is ornamented with a square tower, in which are three bells. The living is a rectory, valued in the King’s book at £20. 12s. 6d., now returned at £1,032. The patronage is vested in the Earl of Craven. The Rev. Thomas Hunt, M.A., is the incumbent. The tithes of this township are commuted for £127. 5s. 3d. The Rectory, a commodious brick edifice near the east end of the church, beautified with pleasure grounds and shrubberies, has been much improved by the present incumbent. There is a free school near the church.

WEST FELTON HOUSE, the residence of the Rev. P. G. Bentley, M.A., is a delightful mansion, pleasantly situated and ornamented with pleasure grounds tastefully laid out. THE MANOR HOUSE is a commodious mansion of great antiquity, the property and residence of Mr. Thomas Frank. Near the house is a mound, surrounded by a deep moat; tradition says a building formerly stood on the summit. The Shropshire union canal intersects the township, and there is a railway station at Rednal, about two miles from West Felton. The county constabulary have a station here: Mr. Robert Jones is the superintendent, and there are eight constables stationed in the adjacent district.

CHARITIES.—_George Iveson_, in 1616, bequeathed a rent charge of 40s. per annum for the use of the poor. _John Edwards_ gave 20s. per annum for the same object in 1686. These two gifts are paid from land at Osbaston, belonging to Mr. Price. _Joseph Withers_, in 1731, directed a yearly sum of £2 to be paid out of the rent of his tenement in Moreton, to the poor of this parish. A sum of £125, derived from different benefactors, is secured upon the tolls of the Holyhead road, by an instrument bearing date 18th January, 1762. The interest, £6. 5s. per annum, with 5s. yearly paid by a farmer at Llan Rhaiadyr for an encroachment, are carried to one account with the produce of the preceding charities, making in the whole £11. 7s. 10d. The amount is given one year to the poor residing in the township, and the next year to the poor residing out of it. _Mary Jones_, in 1758, charged certain lands in Tedsmere with the payment of £5 per annum for the benefit of the poor, and a further sum of 10s. 6d. yearly to the minister, provided he preach a sermon in the parish church of Felton on the 12th of September. _Sarah Owen_, by will 1764, gave to the minister and churchwardens £200 in trust, to distribute the interest (with the approbation of the owner of Woodhouse for the time being) among poor and indigent persons. This legacy is secured on the Oswestry house of industry.

POST OFFICE.—_At Mr. Thomas Roberts’s_. Letters arrive at 6.30 A.M., and are despatched at 6.40 P.M.

Bentley Rev. Peter George, Felton house

Davies George, farmer and butcher

Davies John, saddler and harness maker

Duckett Mrs., The Villa

Edwards William, farmer

Evans John, farmer

Evans Mrs. Margaret, Hall farm

Evans Thomas, farmer

Fardoe Richard, farmer

Fox Thomas, farmer and carrier

Frank Thomas, farmer, Manor house

Hampton William, farmer

Hollis Edward, farmer

Hopkin John, shopkeeper

Howell William, farmer and road surveyor

Hunt Rev. Thomas, M.A., The Rectory

Jones Edward, farmer and maltster

Jones John, farmer, The Cross

Lloyd Edward, vict., Fox and Hounds

Lloyd Edward, blacksmith

Murray Miss Lathrop, Felton hall

Pugh John, shoemaker

Roberts Thomas, overseer and vict., the Lion

Roberts Thomas, farmer & assistant overseer

Rogers Edward, farmer and tailor

Vaughan William, builder and stone mason

HAUGHTON,

a township two miles N.E. from West Felton, contains 1,010A. 3R. 22P. of land, chiefly low fertile meadows, frequently flooded by the river Perry overflowing its banks. In 1841 here were 38 houses and 212 inhabitants. Rateable value, £1,482. 3s. The principle landowners are Mr. Thomas Austin, Mr. Thomas Briscoe, Mr. William Prue, Mr. John Roberts, Mr. John Vaughan, and Mr. Thomas Vaughan; besides whom are several other freeholders. The tithes are commuted for £163. 16s. 4d. The Chester and Shrewsbury railway intersects the township. A superior freestone for building purposes is got here. The Primitive Methodists have a small chapel in the village.

The _Farmers_ in Haughton are William Humphreys, Robert Large, Thomas Minshall, Charles Peacock, William Prue, and Joseph Vaughan. There is also a farm held by the family of the late Robert Rogers. The other residents are Thomas Austin, tailor; John Kynaston, wheelwright; and John Vaughan, blacksmith.

REDNAL, OR REDNALL,

a township two and a quarter miles from West Felton, with a scattered population, contains 1,566A. 1R. 23P. of land, and in 1841 had 24 houses and 140 inhabitants. The soil is chiefly a strong fertile loam, with a mixture of clay, producing good wheat and barley. On the low lands, near the banks of the river Perry, which forms the boundary of the township, is some good grazing land, some parts of which are occasionally flooded. William Mostyn Owen, Esq., owns the land. The tithes are commuted for £233. 4s. The Ellesmere and Queenshead turnpike road crosses the township, and the Shrewsbury and Chester railway has a station here, which is two miles distant from West Felton. WOODHOUSE is a beautiful mansion of white freestone, the seat of William Mostyn Owen, Esq., delightfully situated on a gentle eminence, commanding fine views, and surrounded by park-like grounds beautifully wooded. The mansion is approached by a noble portico, supported by four circular columns; and there is a fine avenue of beech and other trees on the south side of the park.

DIRECTORY.—William Mostyn Owen, Esq., Woodhouse. _Farmers_: Thomas Cartwright, the Buildings; Edward Humphreys, the Old Mill; Edward Meredith; William Meredith; John Thomas, the Leys; and Robert Williams, Lower Lees. James Adams, station master; Paul Briscoe, blacksmith; Robert Brookfield, slater; Moses Tomlinson, shopkeeper.

SANDFORD,

a small township comprising 719A. 0R. 34P., of land, situate one and a half mile from West Felton, in 1841 had 18 houses and 92 inhabitants; the soil is of a light nature, producing good wheat, barley, and turnips. The chief landowners are Samuel Bickerton, Esq., Mr. Thomas Beamand, and Mr. Abraham Hancox. Rateable value of the township, £876. 15s. The tithes are commuted for the sum of £132. 15s. SANDFORD HALL is a well built modern erection of brick, the present occupier of which is highly respected as a spirited farmer and grazier, and noted for his zeal in advocating the cause of protection to native industry. Near to the hall is a large pool of water. There is a fox cover in the township. The principal residents are Thomas Beamand, gentleman; Samuel Bickerton, Esq., The Hall; Edward Goff, farmer; Abraham Hancox, farmer; Edward Kent, farmer; Richard Clarke, wheelwright; Edward Evans, corn miller.

SUTTON

township lies four and a half miles S.E. from Oswestry, and one and a half mile from Weston Felton, near the Rednal railway station. In 1841 here were 31 houses and 135 inhabitants; the township comprises 664A. 3R. 22P. of land, the owners of which are Mr. Edward Edwards, Mr. John Edwards, Messrs. Sides, Mr. John Manford, Mr. William Duckett, and the executors of late Mr. Croxon. The tithes were commuted in 1838 for £116. 7s. 9d. Rateable value of the township, £810. 17s. SUTTON HALL, an ancient edifice pleasantly situated on an eminence, has had additions from time to time made, and of late years has been much modernized. GRIMPO is a hamlet consisting of well built houses, and being near the parish of Weston Felton, a commodious school has been erected, with a residence for the teacher; it was built by subscriptions, and the site was given by William Mostyn Owen, Esq.; it is supported by a few benevolent individuals, and a small charge from each of the scholars; the average attendance is about eighty scholars. The Independents have a chapel at Grimpo, built in 1831.

SUTTON AND GRIMPO DIRECTORY.—George Dawes Brittain, The Hall; James Hargreaves, Esq., The Hall; Edward Furmston, farmer, Grimpo; William Manford, farmer, Sutton farm; Thomas Morgan, farmer; John Morgan, farmer and parish clerk; William Walton, farmer; John Morgan, schoolmaster; Edward Parkes, butcher; Edward Vaughan, builder and farmer.

TEDSMERE,

one mile east from West Felton, is a township with 383A. 3R. 39P. of land, having in 1841 17 houses and 87 inhabitants; the chief part of the land is grass, and in large enclosures. Rateable value, £551. 18s. The tithes are commuted for £63. 10s. 6d. T. B. B. Owen, Esq., and Joseph Pemberton, are the landowners. TEDSMERE HALL, the seat of Thomas Bulkeley Bulkeley Owen, Esq., is a handsome stone structure, on a considerable elevation, commanding a fine view of the vale beneath, and of the bold mountainous district of North Wales. The front and portico of the hall are now being rebuilt of white free stone. A superior quality of free stone found in this township is much used for ornamental building, the quarries are extensively worked, and blocks of immense size are frequently raised. The principal residents here are Thomas Bulkeley Bulkeley Owen, Esq., The Hall; John Cureton, farmer; John Thrumpston, farmer; John Williams, farmer, Bentley marsh; and John Smith, butcher.

TWYFORD,